Placer-machine



(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheen 1.

W. M. JBWELL. PLACER MACHINE Patented July 26, 1892.

3 Sheets-Sheet `2.

(No Model.)

W. M.V JBWBLL. PLACER MACHINE.

No. 479,744. Patented July 26, 1892.

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W. M JBWELL.

PLACERMACHINEl N0, 479,744. Patented JulyAZ, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM M. JEWELL, OF PINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE ROBERTSON, OF DURANGO, COLORADO.

PLACER-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,744, dated July 26, 1892.

Application iiled December 24, 1891. Serial IIa/161031. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. JEWELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pine, in the county of Jefferson and `State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Placer-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, 4and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of same, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of swinging frame. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the machine on the line :t no, Fig. 2.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in placer-machines; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the supporting-frame, on the upper forward portion of which is a hopper A carried by a platform A. This hopper is arranged to discharge into the upper end of an inclined riddle-box B, in which is removably held a perforated screen or plate B. The bottom of the box is solid and consists, preferably, of metal, and in the lower rear end of this bottom plate is a transverse opening b, arranged to discharge into a small hopper C, supported thereunder, and which in turn discharges into an upper riTle-box D, which is inclined slightly downward toward the forward end of the machine. In the forward end of the bottom this box D has an opening d, leading into a lower riflie-box D', located directly under the box D', but inclined oppositely thereto. The rear ends of the boxes are secured rigidly together by means of the side clamps d', through whichvpasses a transverse rod or bolt CZ, provided with a clamping-screw d" at one end. This serves to prevent the boxes from working sidewise when in operation. For the same purpose a hook and pin e e are employed at the forward end, adowel-pin e being also employed. By unlocking the hook e and removing the rod or bolt cl the boxes may be separated from each other and removed for cleaning. On the bottom of the lower box, at each side, is a cleat f, which serves to prevent the boxes from working endwise in their supporting -frame E. Longitudinal cleats or strips h are also provided. In one of these strips is a thumb-screw f', which presses against the side of the box and holds the boxes firmly in the frame. This screw is loosened when the boxes are removed for cleaning, as above described. Each box is so constructed that itslowest point will be at the longitudinal central portion thereof, and the bottom of each consists, preferably, of rubber or similar flexible material of sufficient thickness to give it the necessary strength. These bottoms are held in place by the transverse cleats g on the under side, and on the upper surface inside the box are a series of transverse ribs or riffles F, spaced a short distance apart from each other.

The riddle-boxB is supported upon a swinging frame comprising the transverse bars g g, the respective ends of each of which are loosely connected to crank-arms G G of the shafts G' G', one on each side of the frame and having bearings therein. The riflie-boxes are supported upon a similar frame, the bars h hof which are connected loosely' to depending crank-arms H H of the same shafts G l. The crank-arms G Gand II Hare inclined inwardly,

- or toward the center of the machine, as shown.

The bars h 7L are connected by a longitudinal bar h', and attached to each end of this is a connecting rod or pitman I, which at their opposite ends have a wrist connection with crank-wheels .I on a shaft J This shaft J is geared to a driving-shaft L, which is driven by any suitable power. Chain, belt, or any other suitable gear may be employed for connecting shafts Jand L.

It will be apparent that by reason of the swinging frame and its connections to the crank-arm of the rock-shafts, as above described, when the machine is operated a laterallyreciprocating rocking Inotion is imparted to the riddle and rifle boxes; but the corresponding movement of the riffle-boxes and the riddle-box will be in reverse directions. This feature of the invention, While not being an absolutely requisite one, is yet ICO regarded as important, for the. reason that it is necessary to run a machine of this character at acomparatively high rate of speed, and by reason of the reverse movement of the boxes the frame is prevented from too great vibration and shaking.

M is the tank removably supported on the upper portion of the frame above the riddleboxl and slightly inclined, so that its front end will be slightly lower than the rear end. This tank has a perforated bottom N, and in its forward end is a narrow elongated transverse slot arranged to discharge a thin stream of water into the front portion of the riddlebox. This tank may be supplied with water by any suitable means; but I prefer to use the pump shown in the drawings and driven from the shaft L. This pump, which is designated by the letter P, is a common suction andforce pump having a hose connection with a water-supply and with the tank M.` On the piston-rod P is an enlarged portion R, working in a guide and having` a horizontal slot S therein, which engages a wrist-pin on a disk S on the shaft L. Consequently when said shaft is actuated the piston will be perpendicularly reciprocated, operating the pump and forcing Water to the tank M.

To prevent any sudden jerk or uneven movement of the riddle-box when passing the centers of the crank-wheels J, I provide a spring T, connected at its lower end to the frame and at its upper end having a link or fiexible connection with the center of said box.

l The operation is as follows: The dirt or gravel to be worked is fed into the hopper A to the riddle box B. The coarser gravel passes over the screen B and is discharged at the lower end of the box, while the finer particles containing the gold pass through the screen and through the opening into the hopper C. From the hopper C it enters the npper riftle-boxes, the particles of gold being caught by the ribs or riffles therein, the dirt passing off at the discharge end of the lower box. In the meantime water is discharging from the tank M into the riddle-box, both through the perforated bottom and through the narrow opening at the lower end, and becomes thoroughly mixed with the dust and gravel as it is carried through the machine. The rocking and shaking motion of the boxes not only serves to more thoroughly mix the water with the gravel and cause it to pass through the boxes more rapidly, but also deposits the gold in the lower portion of the boxes and keeps the dirt loose, so that it cannot pack and prevent the gold from settling to the bottom.

The gold in the boxes may be taken up with quicksilver or the boxes removed and the gold cleaned out.

The screen B is made removable in order that it may be taken out and one of a finer or coarser grade inserted, according to the character ofl the gold-bearing gravel to be worked.

The hopper-platform A and the upper cross-bar U are removably supported in the frame in order that they may be taken off to permit the tank and rid dle-box to be removed for cleaning.

An important feature of this invention is the small amount of water required,owing to the manner in which it is discharged into the riddle-box and the fact that the same stream is utilized during its entire passage through the machine.

Having described this invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a placer-machine, the combination, with a riddle-box having a screen therein and the inclined removable tank having a perfolrated bottom and an elongated opening at one end discharging into said riddle-box, of the riffle-boxes arranged to receive the discharge through an opening in the bottom of said riddle-box and mechanism for imparting a reverse rocking reciprocating motion to said riddle and riftie boxes, substantially as specified.

2. In a placer-machine, the combination, with a riddle-box having a perforated screen therein and a solid bottom below said screen, said bottom having an opening therein near its lower end, of the rifiie-boxes, one above the other, under said riddle-box and arranged to receive the discharge from the opening inthe bottom thereof, mechanism for imparting a reverse rocking reciprocating movement to said riddle and rifiie boxes, the inclined removable tank having an elongated opening at its lower end discharging into said riddlebox, and means for supplying said tank with water, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the tank, the riddle-box, the riftle-boxes, the swinging supporting-frame for said box, the cranked rockshafts connected to said frame, and the driving-shaft, of the pump for supplying water to said tank, said pump having in the upper portion of its piston-rod a slot engaged by a pin on lthe driving-shaft, substantially as speci- Iier 4. The combination, with the frame and the riddle and rifle boxes, of the inclined removabletank having a perforated bottom and provided with a transverse elongated discharge at its lower forward end, substantially as specified.

-5. The combination, with the rocking reciprocating riddle-box having the screen and the discharge-opening therein, of the riffleboxes supported below the riddle-box and having a reverse movement thereto, said boxes being held rigidly but removably together and having their lowest points at the central portion, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with the frame, of the inclined perforated tank having an elongated IOO IIO

transverse discharge-opening at its lower end, the inclined riddle-box underneath said tank, the hopper underneath, a discharge-opening in said box, the oppositely-inolined rifIle-boxes rigidly and removably secured together, the rook-shafts having opposite crank-arms oonnected to the upper and lower portions of a lswinging frame, on which said riddle and riiile l boxes are supported, the drivin g-shaft, and the operating-shaft having crank-rodsconneoted to said swin gin g frame, substantially as specifled.

7. The combination, with the main frame, the rock-shafts journaled therein, and the crank-arms of said shafts, of the swinging WILLIAM M. JEWELL.

Witiesses:

E. B. STEPHENS, J. N. LAMB.k 

